Whale and Dolphin Watching
Pico is one of the best spots in the world to meet whales and dolphins. Already 28 species Cetacea have been recorded in our waters. Beside the largest preditor of the world, the sperm whale, we also have the largest animal every lived on earth, the impressive Blue whale. But here are days when we meet the unexpected species that are very very rare to see. Northern bottlenose whales, Pygmea sperm whales or Sowerby's beaked whales. We also meet sea turtles, sunfish, various bird species or feeding balls with Tuna and sharks.
Whale & Dolphins
It is a very special experience to observe whales and dolphins in their natural habitat.
Around the island of Pico there are rich feeding grounds for all marine mammals. That is why sperm whales live here all year around hunting the giant squid in the deep. Other species like the large baleen whales are only seasonal guests on their migration. Even the largest animal ever lived on our blue plant is our guest from February to June every year.
This makes Pico one of the no 1 destinations in the world to meet whales and dolphins.
SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainable treatment of the animals is our top priority. Therefore, the experienced skippers also read the behavior of the animals first and decide how to approach the animals.
With the help of the experienced skippers you can observe the behavior of the whales in peace and learn a lot about their life and migration cycles.
Why Pico Sport
Operating since 1993 we have 30 years of experience with marine mammals. Our skippers work with us since many years and lots of experience in gentle handling of the animals. We find the whales and dolphins because we work with land based spotters. This technique dates back to the days of the old whalers. With strong binoculars the so called VIGIA searches for the whales and dolphins. They tell the boats the positions of the animals. Thus, we never go blindly to the ocean and work with a 99% success rate in sightings.
from 294,- Euro
6 Excursions 414,- Euro
per person (Adults)
6 Excursions 294,-. Euro
per person (Children under 12 years)
- Groups on request -
Travel Dates 2024
March to May: baleen whales, sperm whales, dolphins.
June to October: sperm whales, long-finned pilot whales, beaked whales, dolphins, sometimes baleen whales.
September & October: sperm whales, long-finned pilot whales, dolphins, often baleen whales, false killer whale.
An excursion takes about three hours. In the early morning the vigia reports the sightings and guides the boats to the spots. The boats only leave the harbour when a sighting has been registered. Before each tour our well-trained guides hold a briefing. Afterwards the life jackets are distributed and you go aboard.
Our experienced guides are always available during the trip to explain what you see and get the maximum observation for you possible. But with all this in mind or first rule is to work with the animals in a sustainable way……animals first. If we have the feeling that we disturb we aboard the observation. Our skippers that belong to the best in the world, some with decades of experience, read the behaviour of the animals and then decide what is possible and what is not possible.
We are working with 2 types of boats.
The common boats for whale watching in Pico are speed zodiacs with 12 passengers seats. The plus of this kind of observation is that you observe the animals almost from water level. The boats are fast and can react fast.
Speed Zodiak 8,50m with 250-300 hp outboard engines and 12 seats
The second type of boat we use is our power catamaran Reefcat. This boat has a flight bridge and is comfortable with an indoor cabin. A Toilet is on board. The plus of this boat is that you travel very comfortable and you can use the flight bridge for observation. You see the animals already from far.
Reefcat 12,90m with 2 x 350 hp inboard engines and 19 guest seats
Whale Watching here on Pico Island will be your best wildlife experience during your stay on the Azores. Being able to watch whales and dolphins at close range is a dream for a lot of people which can turns into reality on Pico Island. Nearly nowhere else in the world it is possible to see such a wide variety of whales and dolphins during one season. The most common whale we observe on our Whale Watching Trips is the sperm whale.
The Azores are a historical whaler spot. Many of the old whalers are still alive and you will see the footprints of this tradition in many places. The old system to find the whales was based on land spotters. The man doing this work are called “Vigia “. They are sitting in little observation towers around the Island and look with strong binoculars to the ocean. They are able to tell a whale species by the blow even when the animal is more than 10km away. With the traditional and impressive system we find the whales and that makes our system unique. We run a success of 99% to meet Cetacea during our trips because there is always something around. Due to the Vigia we are able to get straight to the sighting spot and present this wonder of nature to you.
Up to 27 different species of whales and dolphins can be observed throughout the year in the Azores. All year round there are four kinds of dolphins in the waters. Bottlenose dolphins, common dolphins, striped dolphins as well as Risso´s Dolphins, feed themselves at the “buffet” that nature has to offer. In Mid-June large pods of spotted dolphins join the water around Pico. Here, the animals give birth and can emerge in groups of up to 1,000 individuals. Together with other dolphins, Cory’s shearwaters, bonitos and sword fish, hunt alongside for scads and sardines. Whale Watching on Pico Island is definitely a must do during your trip to the Azores.
• Sun protection
• A towel
• Sun glasses a
• Light rain jacket
• Shoes that can be wet
• Photo / Video equipment
• Tablets against seasickness
